


and i'll take the blame (and claim him every time)

by jcp_sob_rjl_lmep



Series: every last bit of my old man's son [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Chronic Pain, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Poor Jason - Freeform, i just want to hit 30 works before 2020, not holiday related, the Waynes realize that being beaten nearly to death with a crowbar can sometimes have consequences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-24 19:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22062919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jcp_sob_rjl_lmep/pseuds/jcp_sob_rjl_lmep
Summary: "Neither Master Jason nor Master Tage has been downstairs this morning." Alfred informed the table, refilling a butter dish nearest Duke."I can go-" Dick offered, beginning to stand.The discussion was immediately tabled at a resounding crash upstairs. Less than a second after, Tage began to wail.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, background Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon
Series: every last bit of my old man's son [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1338274
Comments: 13
Kudos: 395





	and i'll take the blame (and claim him every time)

Bruce's favourite mornings were always those after a night with all of his children (and grandson, now) under his roof. He never felt happier than on a morning when he walked into the dining room and all of his children were gathered together, laughing and passing food back and forth. Plus, he knew they were Alfred's favourite as well because when they were all gathered around the table, he could often be convinced to sit and at least drink tea with them, considering he ate his breakfast before anyone else woke up.

So when he walked in on one of those rare mornings, he was immediately aware that something was missing. Every single occupied room in the family wing had been filled last night, so he should have five sons, one daughter, one daughter-adjacent, one daughter-in-law, and a grandson at the table.

Instead, he had four sons, one daughter, one daughter-adjacent, and one daughter-in-law.

Thinking back to his walk downstairs, Jason and Tage's doors had been closed, but most of his children kept their doors closed whether or not they were actually in their rooms. However, he was trying to respect boundaries, so he took his seat at the table and picked up the newspaper waiting for him. He read two pages, then folded the top so he could see the table.

"Has anyone seen Jason or Tage this morning?"

Negatives resounded from all around the table, and Bruce frowned, beginning to set the paper down.

"It might be nothing," Tim offered, seemingly unaware that Cass and Steph, sitting on either side of him, were competing to see how many braids they could fit in his cloud of hair. "Tage was a little fussy last night. Maybe they're sleeping in."

Even as he said it, he seemed a little doubtful, and his siblings all began to look concerned around the table.

"Neither Master Jason nor Master Tage has been downstairs this morning," Alfred informed the table, refilling a butter dish nearest Duke.

"I can go-" Dick offered, beginning to stand.

The discussion was immediately tabled at a resounding crash upstairs. Less than a second after, Tage began to wail.

Thinking back, Bruce never remembered which of them was the first out of the dining room, running for the stairs. But he knew he had been the first to reach the nursery, sandwiched between Tim and Jason's rooms.

Jason laid on his stomach on the floor beside Tage's bookcase, the shelves of which had snapped and crumbled to the ground. He was trembling violently, and slowly trying to rasp reassurances to his son, standing in his crib and reaching for his father.

Tage's crib was on the opposite side of the room and he didn't appear to be hurt, mostly startled from the noise and distressed that Jason couldn't get up. He continued to wail as Tim leapt over the mess entirely, scooping up his godson and bouncing him with gentle shushing.

"Tim," Batman was showing, and Tim noticed as he turned back to face them.

"He's fine, Dad. I'll get him downstairs."

Temporarily reassured about his grandson-he would feel better once he'd checked Tage himself-Bruce turned his attention to his second son. Jason, upon hearing that Tage was fine, had fully collapsed back to the floor, continuing to shake.

"Jason?" Bruce, as usual in situations where he had to manhandle his second eldest, wished that Jason wasn't almost the same size as Bruce himself. He dropped to his knees by Jason and barked, "Dick."

Dick pulled at Duke and they moved to Jason's other side, waiting. Bruce ran his hands down Jason's spine from his head, checking for any injuries that would make it unsafe to flip him.

"On three," Bruce said once he was satisfied that Jason could be moved. Together, the three of them shifted Jason onto his back, away from the wood and books littering the floor. "Jason?"

Finally, his son's eyes opened, bright and glittering with pained tears.

"Jason, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Bruce brushed a stray lock of hair out of Jason's face as they waited.

"Did you know..." Jason gritted out. "Being beaten to death...with a crowbar...can have some...lasting effects?"

Bruce's boy was in his early twenties and had chronic pain so bad that he could barely move on his own through a flare-up. Bruce felt sick, an emotion mirrored on Dick and Duke's faces.

"Jaylad, sweetheart, we're going to have to move you," Bruce said softly, ruthlessly pushing down his own feelings. "Duke, go downstairs and help Alfred with some heating pads for Jason. We'll go to my room."

Bruce's room had the biggest bed, a point in its favour, but mostly it was because every single one of his children tended to gravitate to his room when they felt sick. With one last glance at his brother, Duke tore back downstairs, already calling out to Alfred.

"Dick, you'll have to help me carry him." Bruce said, beginning to tuck his arms under his boy, humming softly as Jason groaned with each small shift.

"Help." Cass said firmly, still in the doorway with Steph. The girls each took one of Jason's legs, ensuring that they would be able to keep him as straight as possible between the four of them. Dick murmured an apology to his little brother as he slid his arms under as well, tears choking his voice. Bruce reached out and grasped Dick's forearms, feeling his son clasp around his own in the same movement. It was yet another thing to help Jason remain stable throughout the short walk.

They did their best to walk softly, trying not to jostle him, but still go as quickly as possible. Still, as they passed through Bruce's door, Jason rasped out a warning that he was going to throw up. In light of that, Steph took both of Jason's feet as Cass darted for the bathroom. They set Jason on the bed and Bruce slid behind him, propping him up, catching the stainless steel trash can Cass tossed to him and holding it out just in time for Jason to make true on his words. Bruce murmured soothing platitudes to his son as Jason convulsed, brushing kisses along his hairline. Meanwhile, Dick began working with his sisters to undress their brother while he was already occupied.

Jason finished spitting remnants into the basin and leaned back into his dad, utterly exhausted, right as Alfred finally bustled in, tight with tension.

Bruce rolled his eyes, irritated, as Alfred handed him an earpiece before beginning to examine Jason.

"What?" He growled.

"Listen, Bats-" Green Lantern started.

"No." Batman responded.

"What do you mean-"

"No."

"Batman-"

"No." Batman repeated. Hal Jordan lapsed into an angry silence on the other side. Batman refused to budge. One of his Robins needed him, and he would not be leaving. But, knowing Jason, he would likely be upset to be hovered over when he was feeling better. So, "I will send someone to the Tower."

Before Lantern could respond, Bruce had turned off the earpiece and threw it far enough away that he wouldn't be able to reach it. Alfred harrumphed but didn't say anything.

"Dick," Bruce gathered the attention of his four aware children, as Duke had followed Alfred with the first of the heating pads. "Go to the Clocktower with Barbara. You'll be Batman on patrol tonight."

Dick nodded and came closer to squeeze Bruce's arm and brush a kiss over Jason's hair.

"Duke, take Tim and Damian and go to the Watchtower to help with their problem. If they are upset that I am not there, tell them that all three of you have my full trust and I will not be available for anything less than the Earth caving in before my eyes."

Duke glanced uncertainly at his older brother on the bed, but finally nodded and followed Dick out.

"Girls, will you take care of Tage today? At patrol time, you two will go out and I will watch him."

Both of his girls came over as well, Cass hugging him and Steph holding his hand for a split second. They both brushed at Jason gently, trying to reassure without putting any pressure on possible sore areas. Finally, they left, and it was Bruce and Alfred alone with Jason.

The Manor was filled with noise as his children pounded about getting ready, but ten minutes after he had given orders, Damian and Tim had both peeked in, and everyone who was leaving was gone. If he truly concentrated, he could hear a television going, so the girls had likely set up with their nephew in one of the rec rooms.

But he stopped listening and let himself trust them. It was time to focus solely on his boy.

Together, Bruce and Alfred worked on stretching and heating different muscle areas on Jason's body, until he was finally soothed just enough to fall into an exhausted sleep.

Alfred gave a short, emotionless laugh. Both of the men were burning with anger over what had been done those years ago to their boy.

"I suppose it's lucky that you stayed behind, Master Bruce," He finally said, the tone of his voice suggesting that he didn't feel very lucky.

"Hnn." Bruce wrestled with his anger, old and yet renewed at the morning's events.

"I do believe you are the only member of this family that could stop me right now from going to that prison and filling that monster with lead."

With that, Alfred left, presumably to tend to something else around the manor.

Bruce took the armchair from its place too far from the bed and placed it so his knees pressed into the bedframe when he sat down. He took his son's hand in his, extending two fingers to monitor his pulse, and watched his son sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Happy holidays and Happy New Years!  
> I decided probably a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to post another work before 2020 so I had an even thirty going into the new decade. So here it is! Completely not holiday-related and also kind of sad. I know it ends abruptly, but Bruce didn't want to talk anymore, so...  
> I wasn't expecting to write this entire thing from his perspective, but Papa Bear took over and this is what we get. If I get some requests, I might add a second chapter onto this, but I feel like it's fairly good on its own.  
> I'm on tumblr [here](https://iwillstaywiththemforever.tumblr.com).  
> Title is still from He's Mine by Rodney Atkins.  
> Downloads are fine but please don't post this anywhere else without my permission!  
> Goodnight everyone, and I hope for a happy and prosperous year for us all to come!


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